Dumb and Dumber
The same people sitting around the same table produce the same results. It’s dumb to think otherwise.
It’s even dumber to expect the people who caused the problem to solve it.
The future is the past without intervention.
Working harder, if you’re already working hard, won’t change much.
Efficiency is never the path to exponential change.
Hope for dumb and dumber:
- Identify an opportunity. Drucker said, “Results are obtained by exploiting opportunities, not by solving problems.” Leaders who only point out problems lose.
- Entrenchment produces resistance. Expect entrenched people to resist change. Rotate jobs and modify job descriptions.
- Don’t rely on working harder. Hard work got you here. Sincerity and good intentions won’t work either.
- Embrace the pain. Your leadership contributed to the results you currently enjoy. Disappointing results point to unsatisfactory leadership. The more control you have the more responsible you are.
- Determine what to stop. Stopping is the most courageous act of leadership. More of the same produces more of the same. Change begins with stopping.
- Change an attitude. What attitude validates a disappointing the past? Choose it’s opposite.
- Add outside voices. Look for courageous honesty. Begin with people you currently know. The most powerful voice of change often comes from the outside.
- Reject outside voices that validate what you currently know.
- Excuses and blaming always solidify the past.
- Test before going all-in. Run a pilot program, for example.
The key:
Be dumb. Knowing answers gets in the way of finding answers.
Ignorance is your greatest asset.
People who “know” always do what they know – which is more of the same.
Even if you think you know, pretend you don’t. One secret of great leadership is being dumb enough to learn and confident enough to risk.
Bonus material: “Are you Dumb Enough to Lead”
How can leaders overcome the belief that working harder is the solution?
Today’s post has so many nuggets of wisdom that I have nothing to add of value: It is a day to try to absorb and apply some of what you wrote.
Thank you for your diligence at posting and sharing, Dan.
Thanks fofomarc,
Much appreciate your kind words.
…some common themes emerging in the posts this week!
Thanks Gerry,
I don’t usually plan a theme but sometimes it happens.
There is a LOT of this happening at our company (Symantec). We are changing roles, mindsets, strategy and definitely STOPPING to focus on less things that we fully commit to with pride. But we are also acknowledging that its hard on our collective psyche and I’m seeing some leave because they can’t manage the shift.
Almost nothing important is easy.
Thanks James,
It’s cool that Symantec continues to work to be an innovative company.
I’ve been thinking about organizations that systematize change. I think that’s the only way we can prevent the problem of getting stuck. However, it seems that systematized change is creating mini-crisis on a regular basis. It’s either change on a regular basis or wait for the big crisis.
Dumb. dumber and dumbest!!!
* * * * *Robert Schultze* Director of Environmental Services Ephrata Manor 99 Bethany Road Ephrata, Pa 17522 717-738-4940 rschultze@ucc-homes.org
If a man is called to be a street-sweeper he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street-sweeper who did his job well. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Well for me the same people THINKING the same things will get the same result. For me a critical distinction.
The problem for the alcoholic centers in her/his mind, not his/her body. I see that as true for all of Gods kids, not just us drunks.
Desire something different, choose to think different is only place to start.
Disagree, try it any other way and get back to me how that worked for you.
And for me thinking I am incurably curious works through me better than dumb and ignorant. Plus I like looking at other folks working it out as incurably curious not dumb and ignorant.
Just how I roll.
Good stuff.
Thanks Dan,
SP back to my present
Thanks Scott,
You might connect curiosity with not knowing. Those who know aren’t curious. That’s the connection between “dumb” – not knowing – and asking questions and/or being open to something new and different.
Thanks Dan, precisely what I meant. You described it flawlessly!
SP back to me in my present
I like this one. I once reported to a man – Member of the Managing Board, who once sat in a plane and designed reporting formats for me. Apart from wondering if this was how the Managing Board spends it’s time, I also waited patiently for him to have the time to discuss market opportunities!
Thanks Rajiv,
It’s interesting that we don’t see how limiting we are when we do other people’s jobs and/or think our way is the best way, even when we don’t have expertise in that area.
Absolutely excellent!
Thanks Mark!
I’ve always wondered if what I’ve been doing is enough for the world. Am I being effective enough? Do I have a solid grasp of the situation.
I’d disagree with his assertion that ignorance is an asset in leadership. However, too much detailed know how will spoil the milk. It’s strange that we live in a world that seems to have forgotten the lost art of the generalist. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons how we’re not getting the leadership that we need at home and with relation to things abroad in government, at the very least.
Thanks Elvine,
I appreciate your comment and perspective on too much detail. In the context of change, the same people doing the same thing, that they need more ignorance. Only then will new knowledge emerge.
Can’t that be seen as a function of relieving ignorance? By keeping the mind supple, and by default, set on change and new experiences, think of what we can achieve!
In the end, the brain craves habituation. That’s what happens each time you use a set of functions in your brain. By habituating it to be supple and adaptable, we can, theoretically, live out a much larger landscape of disaster and catastrophe, thus making us a more powerful and capable species.,
Hi Dan, thanks for an excellent read. We should not be surprised that people continue to do what got them to where they are. If we want different behaviors, then we need to hire people with different behaviors.
Thanks Bob,
You would hope that some of us can change. But for the most part, it’s the new eyes that see how dumb we have been. I gotta say, that can be hard to take.
Dear Dan,
Same people sitting around same table produce similar result without intervention is really powerful concept. Audience know what is going to be repeated and that is why they attend meeting for the sake of attending without much contribution and motivation. Such practices are dominant in predictable environment with more secured jobs. Where people are more secured by the nature of their jobs and nothing drastic change can take place in future, tend to just follow the trends in the system. Management on the other hand, do not believe in taking any steps that can annoy others. They try to remain in good books of others. Taking steps to change the existing trend is viewed as inviting troubles which may be threat to their positions. And that is why such dumb practices are deep rooted in the culture and behavior of management.
And in such environment, the fact is that, leaders can not overcome their dumb behavior. The reason is simple- such dumb practice is protection and camouflage for them, so why do they want to destroy them. They keep on believing working hard is solution unless something threat their position. Such threats could be policy change, facing competition, tough targets or sustainability of system etc. Therefore corporate and top management culture is more responsible to encourage or discourage with dumb practices or behavior of people in the system.
Thanks Ajay,
When you say threats could be policy change, you describe crisis leadership. Everything stays the same until a threat, emergency, or crisis emerges.
Sad that organizations live this way.
It takes guts to be dumb. (At least in your context, as I’m interpreting it.)
And that’s why many people who consider themselves leaders get hung up dealing with the same problems and getting the same results.
If you’re too invested in your ego as a leader, then you’re going to find it very, very, very hard to admit that maybe you don’t know all the answers.
I believe that only a person who is very secure and confident within themselves can take on the role of “the dumb one” in order to find new solutions.
Thanks Scott,
I believe you are right. It’s easy to know the answers…or at least appear like we know. Not knowing takes real courage.
This post describes the problems we experience in K-12 education. Everyone has the answers and knows what to do. We stifle ourselves with our knowledge and miss opportunities to be better. As a teacher I solve the “working harder” issue by asking myself and my students is this the best way to accomplish our goal? If the answer is no we find new ways to make our work more worth while. Some times the best answers come from the the students who “know” the least.
Thanks S.,
The thing I love the most about your comment is, “Sometimes the best answers come from the students…” It’s true in business too. The trouble is, it takes humility to listen to students. 🙂
I loved so much of today’s post. My favorite? Exploit opportunities. Don’t just solve problems. Exploiting opportunities can help solve problems by pointing us in a different direction. Take a new path.
Dauna
Thanks Dauna,
I find problems are so much more urgent! Plus, I can be a hero if I solve a problem. Opportunities are part of the unknown… Have I just talked myself back into being a problem solving leader rather than an opportunity exploiter? 🙂
We have been told since we were old enough to understand that hard work=success. It is a mantra that is engrained in our thoughts and actions. It has worked out to be true for so many that it’s all we know. It is very difficult to change what works….change requires outside intervention and paradigm shifts in defining what success means. Once we redefine success we can begin to veer towards exploring the opportunities.
Thanks Christ,
“Redefine success…” Wow! Now you’re getting to the heart of the matter.
Thanks for the post Dan. I just watched the movie Moneyball and I think it reinforces the point about moving away from what you’ve always known, trying something different and having the courage to take the road less traveled; it involves a variety of different ideas and gets some amazing results
I think Moneyball is a terrific example of the point that I take from Dan’s post today.
Thanks Sue,
Yes, and I enjoyed the movie too. 🙂 I should have titled this post “Moneyball Leadership”
I love the point that change begins with stopping. Great post!
Thanks Shannon,
Now if I can just stop something.
Hi Dan,
Not totally on board with “The same people sitting around the same table produce the same results. It’s dumb to think otherwise.” In previous posts you wrote about how meetings can be a big waste of time if there isn’t any action items. The same people sitting around the same table can be productive when they are bringing something new to the table, be it data, information or a new perspective. The same people sitting around the same table produces the same results if no one is learning, seeking or thinking outside of their own personal box.
Thanks Jon,
I agree that we can learn to bring new things to the table. But, I think the faster, more interesting way is to get some new people at the table.
Great post Dan. I have no problem with Dumb, I’m there several times a day. Hoping for different outcomes from the same actions is leadership by lottery ticket. Being conscious of what you have done differently this week to last and understanding where your real risk and exposure is should stop a lot of dumb – becoming dumber – becoming the lemming off the cliff.
Thanks Richard,
YES! Real dumb is following the guy in front until we end up off the cliff. You have a great way of illustrating a point.
Fav line: Stopping is the most courageous act of leadership. So profound. So true.
Thanks Sybil,
Now I need to go find some courage.
Just remember what I recently mentioned to a possible client: “If I agree with you, we’d both be wrong.”
He loved it and he signed on.
Thanks David,
I’m not sure if I agree with you! 😉
Awesome insight again Dan. Thanks
Thanks Tony.
Your post reminds that I must not fear discomfort. If I want something to change then I have to change something. In the short term that brings discomfort but in the long term it can bring progress.
Thanks Carthage,
I just told a person yesterday, discomfort is your friend. Without it, you’ll remain the same.
Thanks Dan, excellent read. Loved your quote, “The future is the past without intervention.” This is why I utilize masterminds as a deterrent to repeating my past mistakes. The holes that I fell through before in the past are still there if I don’t get a different perspective to warn me of what I’m about to step in!
Keep up the great work!
Thanks Jim,
Masterminds is another example of bringing the outside in. Bringing the outside in is still the fastest and most effective way to NOT be dumb.
So much of insight today, a lot of management thoughts have been illustrated in this. After having gone through the source of the content and remarks thereon, I understood what really it means, now I can relate with the practices running through the veins an brains of the organisation. most of the dumb practices are systematized in the soul and body of the of the organisation that nobody dare to challenge the status quo. Some section of people surround the corner cabin and run the show without any significant achievement to themselves or organisation. It has been continuing since years and I fear it any continue till the earth remains. As it is mentioned somewhere I have also observed that top management are most interested in day to day management of the small -small matters of the organization instead of focusing on the larger role of themselves. In the process, a select coterie of people exploit the situation and create the fear psyche among the hardworking and deserving people. As you rightly mentioned in this circumstances there is no point to work hard, your hard work has brought you there , on account of your hard jobs will get done and the same set of people will continue to enjoy the privilaged forcibly occupied place, as you rightly suggest that there is no point of working hard , instead be dumb and work for your elevation and growth.
Great post.
Thanks Rajesh,
Glad you brought up systems… they are both powerful and dangerous. Someone has to challenge them even as we use them.
“The future is the past, without intervention.” Excellent thought, DR. Captured it, in one short sentence.
Thanks Nelson,
A good word feels real good!
Thanks for the inspirational messages.